The daily trips aboard Harbor Breeze Cruise help fund the aquarium’s conservation and education initiatives.
A pod of common dolphins swim off the coast of Long Beach Friday, July 17, 2026. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
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Whales, dolphins (which are just small whales), seals, sea lions, sea birds — there is a chance to see them all, and more, during summer excursions with the Aquarium of the Pacific and Harbor Breeze Cruises.
Twice daily, at noon at 3 p.m., the aquarium’s naturalist team will be aboard the Harbor Breeze ships for 3.5-hour educational trips to sea. The naturalists will answer questions and talk about how marine life is being impacted by warming waters, such as altering migration patterns of whales.
Tickets for the cruise, which include admission to the aquarium, are $92.95 for adults, $66.95 for children age 11 and under, and $82.95 for seniors. For aquarium members, the prices are about half.
Whale watch ticket sales help support the aquarium’s various conservation and education initiatives, including its Whale Photo I.D. program, according to the nonprofit.
Ishmael Vargas, 1, keeps an eye out for marine life during a whale watching tour aboard a Harbor Breeze Cruise ship out of Long Beach Friday, July 17, 2026. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
For 16 years, the aquarium has been documenting endangered and non-endangered whales and dolphins. Staff photograph and record sightings during the daily outings, log the species, upload photos, add GPS coordinates, record animal behavior and note weather conditions.
“This data is used by scientists to better understand these whales and even resulted in moving a shipping lane in the past since it was being frequented by whales,” according to the aquarium.
The Harbor Breeze ships are located at Dock #2 on Rainbow Harbor near the aquarium. For more information, click here.
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Brandon Richardson is an editor, photographer and reporter for the Watchdog. If this work is important to you, please thank him.
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